How To Beat Procrastination Before It Beats You

A conversation arises among friends around the topic of… let’s say… debt and finance. One friend says to another, “Oh man… I suck at money management. I owe like $25,000 on credit cards.” He says this with a lighthearted tone and a slight sense of humor. His friends offer a small chuckle almost as if they’re saying, “Haha I get it brother, me too.”

In reality, we’ve just witnessed a group of people socially self-medicate their poor decisions to one another. In other words, “If my friends are in debt as well, I’m not that bad after all.” A desperate attempt to escape reality and a sad observation of friends passively approving each other’s bad decisions.

Now, I offer this example because like debt, procrastination shares a similar social reaction. In conversation with others, we work hard to reduce or diminish our acts of procrastination. We fight to minimize what it’s really doing to our dreams and to our future. We smile as we say things like, “I’m totally procrastinating today.” Or, I’ve heard, “I’m such a procrastinator.”

But let’s put some flesh on these bones that we so often jest upon.

The word procrastination is defined as, “The act of willfully delaying the doing of something that should be done.”

The Bible even speaks of procrastination as sin in the book James, “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.” (James 4:17)

In other words, a spirit of procrastination is a dangerous trait for anyone looking to be physically productive, spiritually healthy, and a meaningful addition to society. It’s the mark of someone lacking discipline, lacking diligence, and lacking self-control.

You might be thinking, “Is it really that serious, Dale?” Sure, I understand there’s a limited impact on life if you procrastinate on picking up your laundry, but what happens if you procrastinate an important conversation with someone you’ve offended? What happens if you postpone the work you felt God has called to do? What happens when you delay the commitment to the person you love?

In my experience, people who procrastinate often don’t compartmentalize it to meaningless chores and low impact tasks. Instead, they let their addiction to delay bleed into areas of immense consequence.

At the core, procrastination is the avoidance of reality. As leaders, we must be willing to face, complete, and confront the obstacles and tasks in front of us. Furthermore, we must not make light of what’s truly occurring when we choose to procrastinate.

So before you advertise your inability to get things done, be sure you recognize what you’re saying. Be sure you’re not secretly looking for approval from others as broken as you. The life you have is not rehearsal. We only get on chance to live it. It’s okay to feel unprepared. It’s okay to feel afraid. It’s okay to seek out more clarity. But it’s never okay to put off work that needs to be done.

Stop Procrastinating On Your Dreams

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Reader Interactions

Comments

Thank you for being willing to say the hard things. I needed to be reminded the power that exists in our tongues. Excellent article. My husband and I just received the “Find Your Calling” books in the mail. We are excited to dig into it together.

That was brilliant! Made me think. Made me question. Even made me cry…just a little. The truth is so real and it is good to hear what I already know but actually dont want to know!! Lol. Thanx guys for another awesome article!

Dale your words of wisdom are such a gift! I had to learn this truth the hard way in college but thankfully God hit me with it over a period of time and now my business is professional organizing and productivity coaching! Thank you for being a voice in a world where there isn’t much real truth going around anymore!

Thank you Dale. Excellent article. Really hits the home run. What really gets it into the depths of our being is bringing God’s word into it because it is “sharper than a double-edged sword that cuts through bone & marrow” – it cuts through all our excuses & reasonings & really gets into the heart of the matter in a way no other “man”s philosophy or writings can, & starts working on us in a way to finally bring change & freedom from the inside out to propel us on the journey & destiny we are supposed to be on. Thank you once again. God bless.

Wow this was entirely necessary for me to read but at the same time really difficult. I often find myself procrastinating for a multitude of reasons. The most common reason is that I’m very nervous about completing the task because it something that’s difficult to do (typically has tough business decisions) so I choose a smaller tasks that I find easier and less stressful. While not intentional this methodology leaves me feeling worse and I frequently end up missing deadlines that I have set for myself. As a busy mom stay at home mom of four young children and a business owner this little habit really sets me back. Thank you for sharing this, I look forward to focusing and prioritizing with a passion this week.

Dale, you brought such a sharp prospective on the issue of procrastinating. It has been one of my weeknesses but starting today that’s going to change because as you point it out it can be a sin to procrastinate in some of important aspects of life. Thank you!

It definitely bleeds into all aspects of your life. Running from “listening” to God speak is my first feat, procrastinating this important detail is another way to get more selfish me time in. Really have some work to do in this area. Thanks.

Hi Dale, this really convicted me especially the James verse reference. My question is, how do I become a good friend and what do I say when the topic of procrastination or being in debt comes into the conversation? I don’t want to chuckle and agree with their bad decisions like you examplified! Thanks a bunch!

Just speak the truth you already know, Allyna. Becoming a good friend takes time and commitment. It takes consistency to build trust! It helps to start with questions, and LOTS of listening. and move through a conversation with them. Rather than “You are” statements, making early assumptions, you can ask “Are you” questions. Sometimes this also helps a friend to not feel ambushed if they are especially sensitive or a very new friend.

That’s the complex question. As for me, there are no universal or simple solutions for everybody to beat procrastination. You should look deeper to find the real reasons to act right. For instance, I remember, when I studied at the college I had no time for writing essays or term papers, and often used services like https://essayshark.com/. But it does not mean I had problems with procrastination, cuz I was really active with other things, playing in the band and had a project with the android app. I just was bored with all that writings